First Trimester

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To invest time & money into something, there has to be a value placed on the final product. It isn’t just the end product that needs to be valued, though—the process has to be appreciated too. In this first session, we’ll discuss the milestones, creating a positive writing experience, and keeping a “Wins” journal (there are no small things). This is also your opportunity to share your vision (what are you writing about?), identify struggles, and explore if it will be a stand-alone book or series

Completing anything in life starts with having a clear intention to do so, and the more complex the project, the clearer the intention must be. In our first session for this workshop, you are guided to a peaceful and powerful place to choose, clarify, and ultimately set your powerful intentions around publishing your book. 

A premise for a book is a one or two-sentence statement establishing the underlying idea for the story—the foundation that supports the entire plot/story structure. We will discuss how to create a good premise, look at examples of premises, and start brainstorming yours. 

Once we focus our mind and energies on a clear objective, our mind becomes a super-tracking mechanism that keeps us on track and steadily moving toward our desired outcome. In this session, you will get in touch with your goals and objectives and develop the power of laser-like focus to move you toward them in the most efficient way possible.  

The point of view you select is critical to how the story flows. We will discuss the different types of POV and benefits of each, identify POV of your story, and decide if you want to swap POV and how to do that. Next, we’ll take an in-depth look at what makes a good setting, discuss the location for your book, and learn research strategies.

The core element of any book is the story it tells or the message it delivers. This session taps directly into your right brain, or creative side awareness, to unleash your creative energies and opens up your creative channels. This process allows your story to unfold naturally in the right way before your inner eyes and gives you the insights you need to bring your inner vision into the outer world. 

We’ve talked about what gives stories depth. Now, it’s time to write. We’ll be discussing the rising action and then a bit about character arcs. Your goal after this session is to have 3-4 chapters to give to Jill before Week 9. 

What does it mean to you to be a published author? Being an author in today’s world of social media interaction, public promotion, e-commerce, and competitive marketplaces means having a clear picture of not only one’s story and broader message but also of how you show up in the world. In this fun and dynamic session, we explore these concepts and bring into clear focus the image of you as a writer who is ready to have your place in the world. 

We’ll be discussing the edits for your first chapters, discussing strengths and weaknesses, and talk about your plans for the next chapters. Before Week 11, you’ll need to provide Jill with 3-4 more chapters and the revisions (if any) to the first. 

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Don’t worry; revisions is the name of the game. In this session, we’ll do another review of the chapters you’ve turned in. After, we’ll discuss the first conflict and why it’s important. Additionally, we’ll be looking at the transitions between chapters and the flow of the manuscript. Another 1-2 chapters should be turned into Jill for review prior to Week 12. 

In this session, we will look at the entire manuscript as a whole. Are the key points being set up? This is the time to discuss the next steps for the book, get your overall impression of how you’re progressing, and celebrate the work you’ve done. 

(Description to come.)

To invest time and money into something, there has to be a value placed on the final product. It isn’t just the end product that needs to be valued, though—the process has to be appreciated too. In this first session, we’ll discuss the milestones, creating a positive writing experience, and keeping a “Wins” journal (there are no small things). This is also your opportunity to share your vision (what are you writing about and how is the process going so far), and identify struggles. 

Completing anything in life starts with having a clear intention to do so, and the more complex the project the clearer the intention must be. In our first session for this workshop, you are guided to a peaceful and powerful place to choose, clarify, and ultimately set your powerful intentions around publishing your book. 

This is your opportunity to pitch your idea, identify struggles, and find out if stand-alone or series (and how many). We will work through what makes a good elevator pitch and how to start weaving your ideas for future (or past) books in the series into the current manuscript. 

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Who are your characters, and why are they part of the story? We’ll discuss your protagonist, antagonist, and support characters and start looking at character arcs. 

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The climax is the most exciting part of the book, but if you don’t properly build up to it, it’s either predictable or boring. We’re going to discuss your climax and explore ways to create a spectacular one. 

This week, I’ll share my screen and show you in real-time how the editing process happens. You’ll be able to explain your reasoning and ask questions while Jill gives you feedback and makes corrections. The session will end with a discussion about the story’s resolution. 

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We’re going to do more live developmental edits, focusing on the conclusion. 

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Your manuscript is complete. Take a moment to appreciate the amazing thing you’ve accomplished. After a well-deserved celebration, we’ll review the manuscript, and Jill will answer any outstanding questions you have. We’ll end with a discussion of the next steps for your book. 

To invest time and money into something, there has to be a value placed on the final product. It isn’t just the end product that needs to be valued, though—the process has to be appreciated too. In this first session, we’ll discuss the milestones, creating a positive writing experience, and keeping a “Wins” journal (there are no small things). This is also your opportunity to share your vision (what are you writing about and how is the process going so far), and identify struggles. 

(Description to come.)

Most, but not all, authors want to see their book in print on websites and bookshelves around the world. There are so many options for publishing your book. This week, we’ll take a look at the ones that interest you and devise steps for you to take to achieve your publishing dream. 

(Description to come.)

Getting your edits back can be disheartening. You have poured your heart and soul into your story. When you get it returned with revisions and suggestions, it can feel like a stab to your heart. We’ll review your manuscript with the edits and discuss the reasons for them. BTW, no one has ever had a perfect manuscript after their first draft. You’ll take away from this session your edited manuscript to review and make changes. The revised document is due back to Jill by Week 7. 

(Description to come.)

This week, we’ll be discussing ISBN, copyright, and the Library of Congress – the things you will need to make your book valid. The next piece will be deciding on a launch date. After this meeting, you’ll go through and set up accounts on the appropriate websites. 

After reviewing the copy edit, we get to discuss the fun stuff: cover design and interior design. We’ll walk through your options for creating a cover and an interior design service. After this session, you’ll need to go through the copy edits, make corrections, and have a clean document to submit to interior design. The path you want to take for your cover design will need to be decided, and you’ll need to go through the process of having that completed. 

Accomplishing anything first requires believing it is possible to do so.  We often begin big undertakings with high energy and enthusiasm only to find the initial excitement fading when the real work begins. When projects are big, complex, & full of interpersonal obstacles, our inner doubts & fears begin to creep in. With these lesser voices whispering in our ear, it’s difficult to make much real progress. This specially designed session anchors our minds to the magical force of possibility.

Unless you’re publishing with a traditional publisher, you will be responsible for promoting your book. Facebook Groups are a good way to generate excitement for your book, and announcing a launch date will add anticipation and excitement to your promotion. We’ll discuss how to set up groups, what works (and doesn’t) for promotions, and discuss your plans for the book launch. 

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What else is there left to do except celebrate your amazing book? We’ll use this last session to discuss your plans for the future of your book and writing.